


Ventricular Contractions

by barbaXcarisi (barbaXbenson)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dr. Barba, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Medical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-19 14:31:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22245883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbaXbenson/pseuds/barbaXcarisi
Summary: “Hello, Mr... Carisi.” The doctor, a handsome man with streaks of gray through dark hair, and a lab coat over a crisp white shirt and gray and burgundy striped tie, looked up from the tablet in his hand. “Or should I say Detective?” He asked, clocking the badge at Sonny’s hip.He felt a little foolish sitting here in his dress slacks and white t-shirt, but the shirt he’d been wearing earlier in the day had been removed so the nurse could get to the cut on his arm. He was pretty sure it was a goner anyway, considering the ripped sleeve and the bloodstain. It was unfortunate. He’d really liked that shirt.“I’m Dr. Barba,” the doctor continued before Sonny could respond. “What seems to be the problem?”
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 154





	Ventricular Contractions

**Author's Note:**

> Once a decade I binge 15 seasons of ER, so you can blame that for this fic. Also, while I watch modern medical shows, a lot of the procedure for doing sutures I pulled from ER which is 25 years old so I'm sure it's all wrong now. Don't @ me. 
> 
> As always, this wouldn't exist without PBB. <3 Enjoy!

“Would you leave that alone?” Sonny swatted Amanda’s hand away from where she was pulling at the gauze that was wrapped around his bicep. The gauze, a pristine white when the nurse had wrapped his arm a little while ago, now had a red stain spreading out from its center. 

“I was just checking it,” Amanda said, defensive. 

“Have you been moonlighting as an EMT and not tellin’ me?” Sonny cracked and Amanda huffed.

“Fine, bleed out. See if I care.” 

“I’m no expert, but I scratched it on a fence. I don’t think any major arteries were hit.” 

Amanda made a face, but didn’t get a chance to answer because the curtain to the exam area was swiftly pulled open. 

“Hello, Mr... Carisi.” The doctor, a handsome man with streaks of gray through dark hair, and a lab coat over a crisp white shirt and gray and burgundy striped tie, looked up from the tablet in his hand. “Or should I say Detective?” He asked, clocking the badge at Sonny’s hip. 

He felt a little foolish sitting here in his dress slacks and white t-shirt, but the shirt he’d been wearing earlier in the day had been removed so the nurse could get to the cut on his arm. He was pretty sure it was a goner anyway, considering the ripped sleeve and the bloodstain. It was unfortunate. He’d really liked that shirt. 

“I’m Dr. Barba,” the doctor continued before Sonny could respond. “What seems to be the problem?” he asked even though Sonny knew he’d already read the nurse’s notes. 

“I was chasing a subject and caught my arm on a fence.” Sonny shifted his shoulder towards the doctor so he could see. 

Dr. Barba took a look at the cut before shifting the gauze back into place. “That’s a nasty gash. You’ll definitely need stitches. And when was your last tetanus shot?” He asked, even as he scrolled through the tablet looking at Sonny’s patient history. 

“Uh, about a year ago? Things like this tend to happen a lot with my job.” 

The doctor huffed a small laugh. “Oh yes, we see a lot of your brethren in here. At least this is minor.” He sat the tablet down on the bed next to Sonny. “So you’re good on your tetanus, but your partner told our nurse that you also fell? Did you hit your head?” 

Sonny gave Amanda a dirty look over the doctor’s shoulder, but she just shrugged innocently. 

“No, hit my knee a little, but not my head.” Sonny answered as the doctor shined a pin light in his eyes. 

“And how’s the knee feeling?” 

“Fine, think I just bruised it, that’s all.” 

Dr. Barba hummed, but didn’t comment further on the knee. “Okay, well, we’ll get you stitched up. Would you like me to have someone from Plastics come down and take a look?” 

“No. I mean, is that what you usually do?”

“Well, it’s standard protocol if the cut is on the face, but we like to give the option. Maybe you’re an amateur model or something on the side and don’t want a scar?”

“Oh, um…” Sonny could feel his face burning. “No, nothing like that.” 

“Okay, then, I’ll get a med student in here to do your sutures.” 

“Wait, med student?” Amanda piped up. “You’re not going to do it?”

“Rollins, it’s fine…” Sonny started to intervene. 

“No, you don’t need some kid who hasn’t even graduated medical school stitching you up.” 

“I’m sorry,” Sonny directed toward the doctor. “Really, it’s fine.” 

“Well,” Dr. Barba thought a moment. “I guess I could do it. Although, honestly you’re probably better off with the student. It’s been awhile since I’ve done any sutures.” 

“Still, we’d prefer you do it,” Rollins jumped in before Sonny could. 

“Okay,” the doctor agreed. “I’ll have a nurse bring in a suture kit and an icepack for your knee, and I’ll be back in a bit.” 

“You’re welcome,” Amanda said when the doctor had left, pulling the curtain closed behind him.

“For what?” Sonny didn’t like her smug expression. 

“I just got you more face time with the cute doctor.” 

* * *

Over an hour later, Sonny had been moved to a suture room and a nurse had dropped off a tray holding the instruments the doctor would need to do his stitches. She’d also removed the gauze and cleaned up his wound. 

That had been ages ago. Of course Rollins had grown bored and under the guise of giving him “alone time with the doc” she’d left him to wait on his own. He was kicked back on the bed, an ice pack on his knee, assuring his family that he was fine via their group chat, which had blown up thanks to Rollins texting Bella, when Dr. Barba finally entered the room. 

This time, instead of his shirt and tie, the doctor was in dark blue scrubs. Sonny purposely ignored the way his belly flip flopped at the sight. 

“My apologies, Detective,” Dr. Barba said, pulling a rolling stool over toward the bed. “We had a trauma come in that I had to jump in on.” 

“Ah,” Sonny said knowingly, and when the doctor gave him an inquisitive look, Sonny gestured toward his clothes. “Explains the wardrobe change.” 

“Oh. Yes. Another shirt lost,” the doctor lamented as he adjusted the bed so that Sonny’s shoulder would be at the proper height. “But we saved the patient, so that’s better than the opposite. Did your partner leave?” he asked as he took a seat. 

“Oh, yeah, once she was convinced I was gonna live, she took off.” 

Dr. Barba huffed a small laugh as he pulled on some gloves. “I’m going to numb you up, then I’ll get started.” Sonny didn’t even flinch when he injected him with the anesthetic. “Tough guy, huh? You wouldn’t believe the cops we get in here who freak out at the sight of a needle.” 

“Oh, this stuff doesn’t get to me, but sit me down in front of a rom-com and I’m a goner.” 

The doctor’s hands paused as he picked up the suture kit, something in his face registering surprise. 

“Something wrong?” Sonny asked and the doctor shook his head. 

“No, no. Sorry. You should be good and numb now, so I’ll get started.” 

They were quiet for a bit, only the sounds of the Emergency Department outside the door infiltrating their space. Sonny looked straight ahead, feeling the tug at his skin as Dr. Barba sewed up his wound. Just because he didn’t mind it, didn’t mean he needed to _watch_ the process. 

“So,” Dr. Barba cleared his throat after a few minutes. “What’s your favorite? Rom-com that is.” 

“Oh, You’ve Got Mail hands down.” He waved his opposite hand to ward off any arguments from the doctor. “And I know, I know, it hasn’t aged super well and he lies to her and all that, but it’s such a love letter to New York. Like, New York is a main character in that movie.”

A small smile, or maybe it was a smirk, Sonny couldn’t tell, pulled at the corner of the doctor’s mouth. “You’re right, it has its problems, but it’s still pretty good. Although, I think I prefer The Shop Around the Corner.” 

It took Sonny a second to register that he was referring to the movie and not the store in You’ve Got Mail. “Oh, yeah. I watched that one once. Not the same. Not as good.” 

“But Jimmy Stewart,” he responded as if that was a full argument on its own. And to Sonny, it was. 

“Okay, but if we’re talking Jimmy Stewart, then we gotta go Philadelphia Story.” 

“But he’s not even the lead in that one. He doesn’t get the girl.” 

“But he _should,”_ Sonny argued. “Jimmy Stewart should get any girl...or boy, that he wants.” 

The doctor looked up at him a moment, something light playing in his eyes, before he leaned back, pulling off his gloves. “Alright, that should do it.” 

Sonny looked down at his arm, surprised. It hadn’t taken any time at all. “Not too bad considering you hadn’t done it in a while.” 

“See if you’re saying that once you see the scar.” He picked up the tablet, flipping through Sonny’s chart. “I’m still a bit concerned that you may have hit your head. Maybe we should get a CT.” 

“Oh man, am I that bad that you think I’ve got a head injury? It was the Jimmy Stewart stuff wasn’t it?” 

“No, no. I just want to be thorough, that’s all. So maybe also an MRI on your knee, just to be safe.” 

“How long will that take?” 

Dr. Barba shrugged. “Probably a few hours. Depends on how backed up the departments are.” 

“Jeeze, Doc, you must really want me to stick around. My insurance is gonna love you.” It was a joke, but the doctor suddenly became engrossed in whatever he was reading in Sonny’s chart and didn’t look up. Sonny would also swear that his neck was just a bit flushed. 

His heart thumped as the realization hit and he almost chickened out, but he heard Rollins’ voice in his head, urging him along, so he spoke up. “Um, well, unless it is that. I mean, that you want to spend more time with me. I could buy you a drink or something when you’re off.” 

“I’m not supposed to date patients,” Dr. Barba said, sounding mad about it, but still not looking up from the chart. 

“Well, if you let me outta here without doing all those tests I don’t need, I won’t be your patient anymore.” 

This time the doctor looked up and Sonny hit him with the dimples. Rollins would be proud. 

“Fine. I get off at 8 o’clock.”


End file.
